Jaguars Training Camp: Why Scherff Has Confidence in the Offensive Line
Week one of training camp featured feisty competition and the level of physicality expected from a young and hungry team. My colleague John Shipley described the first week the best; They have a lot of confidence to them.
The offensive line, bolstered by the additions of star right guard Brandon Scherff and rookie center Luke Fortner, is ready to prove that they are destined for improvement. Scherff made it clear that the unit is in the right mindset after the first few days of camp.
“It’s nice to put shoulder pads on and actually just be able to make it feel like football,” Scherff said.
“With shells you kind of go full speed but you still have to take care of each other, but with pads you can get those real fits that [Offensive Line Coach] Phil [Rauscher] always talks about at meetings, so it’s nice to be able to get that fit get the real handles and shoulder pads and stuff. I think we got a pretty good group and we’re excited to just keep stacking them one day at a time.”
It is evident that early on players are taking the chance to improve seriously. Scherff noted that the right tackles stop and ask him questions in certain situations.
“You know like during certain looks I’ll just give them tips on what I see,” Scherff said. “I’m trying to be for them what like Trent Williams, [Kory] Lichtensteiger, Morgan Moses, all those guys were for me so anything I can do to help the game slow down for them. Play as one and make sure we all know what we’re doing on the same page. We’ll be alright.”
Offensive line coach Phil Rauscher and Scherff share some history together. The two men spent two years together in Washington, where Scherff was a key cog in a formidable unit. In Scherff’s eyes, Rauscher separates himself from other offensive line coaches.
“He’s energetic,” Scherff said. “You can probably hear him all the way over here when we’re down doing Indy drills. He’s energetic in the O line room. He has a passion for the game, and he’s a heck of a coach. He knows how to incorporate being serious, but still have a little fun with it. I think I can speak for all the guys saying that we’re enjoying him a lot.”
The combination of solid coaching and new talent along the offensive line has the outlook trending in the right direction for the unit. For Scherff, these factors give him hope that this offensive line can be successful in the NFL.
“Everybody’s coachable and trying to do what Phil asks us to do,” Scherff said.
“You see some of those plays we’re breaking out 20, 30, 40-yard runs. That’s what you want to see as an offensive line. It’s kind of cool, doing our job and then seeing Travis and Rock and Snoop hit those holes and there’s nobody around him. So that’s when we know that we’re doing our job and we just have to keep stacking them.”
Things are looking up for the Jaguars offensive line after one week of training camp. Improved play and a dedication to preparation have been the storylines thus far for the unit as they continue their preparation for the 2022-2023 season.
“You just know when you have to get yourself ready by, and that’s September 11th, right?,” Scherff said. “So, you just have to keep stacking days and make sure you are ready by then. That’s my goal is to make sure I’m ready by then.”
